'Dr. Phil' shoplifters sentenced to prison

In retrospect, going on the “Dr. Phil” television show to talk about their shoplifting exploits did not — to paraphrase the good doctor — work very well for Matthew and Nora Eaton.

The San Marcos husband and wife, who went on the popular show and trumpeted their moneymaking scheme of shoplifting toys and reselling them on the Internet, were sentenced to prison yesterday by a federal judge.

And Dr. Phil McGraw didn’t get off too easy, either.

District Judge Irma Gonzalez sentenced Matthew Eaton, 34, to 27 months in prison — one year more than prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office thought was sufficient punishment.

Nora Eaton, 27, was sentenced to one year and one day in custody.

Gonzalez had little sympathy for Matthew Eaton, calling his conduct in running the scheme over two years “despicable.”

But first she went off on McGraw, the TV psychologist who dispenses help on his syndicated show with such catchphrases as the sharp “Get real!” the disdainful “How’s that working for you?” and the unusual “Did you fall out of the dumb tree?”

“What a charlatan this man is,” the judge said during the hearing. “What a terrible, terrible situation to put people in.”

Gonzalez was perturbed that McGraw holds himself out as a doctor wishing to help. But, the judge said to Matthew Eaton, “he obviously didn’t help you.”

Matthew Eaton’s lawyer said the couple went on the show seeking help for their chronic shoplifting problem. On the program, however, they came across as bragging about their exploits and not appearing particularly troubled.

Instead of helping them, producers egged them on to exaggerate their cases, said defense lawyer Leila Morgan. And the only help they got was free copies of McGraw’s books, she said.

The show was broadcast in November 2008 and, perhaps not surprisingly, it caught the attention of federal law enforcement. A search of the couple’s home in March 2009 revealed about 500 boxes of toys awaiting shipment.

The two were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to transport stolen property and pleaded guilty in December.

Prosecutors said they sold more than $100,000 worth of stolen goods online between August 2006 and March 2009. They recommended that Matthew Eaton serve 15 months in prison.

But Gonzalez thought that too light. She said that the case was not about simple shoplifting and that it went on for a long period — even after the television appearance, which she said was not just about getting help.

Gonzalez noted that investigators had learned the couple had been trying to get on the show for months. Court records said they lobbied to appear on the show to discuss issues related to “weight loss,” not shoplifting.

Nora Eaton played a lesser role than her husband, though Gonzalez said she, too, profited from the scheme and should be punished.

An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect quote from District Judge Irma Gonzalez